Notice2025-08503

Superfund Tax on Chemical Substances; Request To Modify List of Taxable Substances; Notice of Filing for Di-IsoNonyl Phthalate

Primary source

Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.

Published
May 14, 2025

Issuing agencies

Treasury DepartmentInternal Revenue Service

Abstract

This notice of filing announces that a petition has been filed requesting that di-isononyl phthalate be added to the list of taxable substances. This notice of filing also requests comments on the petition. This notice of filing is not a determination that the list of taxable substances is modified.

Full Text

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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 92 (Wednesday, May 14, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 92 (Wednesday, May 14, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20551-20552]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-08503]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Internal Revenue Service


Superfund Tax on Chemical Substances; Request To Modify List of 
Taxable Substances; Notice of Filing for Di-IsoNonyl Phthalate

AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury.

ACTION: Notice of filing and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: This notice of filing announces that a petition has been filed 
requesting that di-isononyl phthalate be added to the list of taxable 
substances. This notice of filing also requests comments on the 
petition. This notice of filing is not a determination that the list of 
taxable substances is modified.

DATES: Written comments and requests for a public hearing must be 
received on or before July 14, 2025.

ADDRESSES: Commenters are encouraged to submit public comments or 
requests for a public hearing relating to this petition electronically 
via the Federal eRulemaking Portal at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> 
(indicate public docket number IRS-2025-0046 or di-isononyl phthalate) 
by following the online instructions for submitting comments. Comments 
cannot be edited or withdrawn once submitted to the Federal eRulemaking 
Portal. Alternatively, comments and requests for a public hearing may 
be mailed to: Internal Revenue Service, Attn: CC:PA:01:PR (Notice of 
Filing for Di-IsoNonyl Phthalate), Room 5203, P.O. Box 7604, Ben 
Franklin Station, Washington, DC 20044. All comments received are part 
of the public record and subject to public disclosure. All comments 
received will be posted without change to <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>, 
including any personal information provided. You should submit only 
information that you wish to make publicly available. If a public 
hearing is scheduled, notice of the time and place for the hearing will 
be published in the Federal Register.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Camille Edwards Bennehoff at (202) 
317-6855 (not a toll-free number).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Request To Add Substance to the List

    (a) Overview. A petition was filed pursuant to Rev. Proc. 2022-26 
(2022-29 I.R.B. 90), as modified by Rev. Proc. 2023-20 (2023-15 I.R.B. 
636), requesting that di-isononyl phthalate be added to the list of 
taxable substances under section 4672(a) of the Internal Revenue Code 
(List). The petition requesting the addition of di-isononyl phthalate 
to the List is based on weight and contains the information detailed in 
paragraph (b) of this document. The information is provided for public 
notice and comment pursuant to section 9 of Rev. Proc. 2022-26. The 
publication of petition information in this notice of filing is not a 
determination and does not constitute Treasury Department or

[[Page 20552]]

IRS confirmation of the accuracy of the information published.
    (b) Petition Content.
    (1) Substance name: Di-isononyl phthalate.
    (2) Petitioner: Exxon Mobil Corporation, an exporter of di-isononyl 
phthalate.
    (3) Proposed classification numbers:
    (i) HTSUS number: 2917.33.00.50.
    (ii) Schedule B number: 2917.33.00.50.
    (iii) CAS number: 68515-48-0.
    (4) Petition filing dates:
    (i) Petition filing date for purposes of making a determination: 
May 1, 2025.
    (ii) Petition filing date for purposes of section 11.02 of Rev. 
Proc. 2022-26, as modified by section 3 of Rev. Proc. 2023-20: July 1, 
2022.
    (5) Description from petition: Di-isononyl phthalate is a preferred 
choice PVC plasticizer for large-volume general use applications. It is 
suited for a variety of flexible PVC plastisol, extruded, and molded 
parts applications including coated fabrics, sheet products, tubing, 
gasketing, and wire insulation and jacketing. It is also used in wire 
and cable applications due to its good dielectric properties.
    Di-isononyl phthalate is made from propylene and orthoxylene, which 
is an isomer of the taxable chemical xylene. Taxable chemicals 
constitute 62.90 percent by weight of the materials used to produce 
this substance.
    (6) Process identified in petition as predominant method of 
production of substance: The predominant method of producing di-
isononyl phthalate is via the esterification process. Most plasticizers 
are products of simple esterification reactions, which can be readily 
carried out in heated kettles with agitation and provision for water 
takeoff. While some plants produce plasticizers by such batch methods, 
newer, highly automated plants operate continuously, particularly if 
they emphasize a single product. Esterification catalysts (e.g. 
sulfuric acid or p-toluenesulfonic acid) speed the reaction and are 
neutralized, washed, and then removed. The purity requirements for 
commercial plasticizers are very high; phthalate esters are usually 
colorless and are mostly odorless. The reaction usually requires an 
excess of alcohol, which is readily recycled. Analogous syntheses yield 
aliphatic dicarboxylic acid esters, benzoates, and trimellitates.
    The hydrogen used for these reactions is not produced from steam-
methane reforming; the source is from PO<INF>X</INF> reactor, which 
feeds liquids, not methane. The PO<INF>X</INF> process is an industrial 
process that converts hydrocarbons feeds into syngas (a combination of 
H<INF>2</INF> and CO gas). The hydrocarbon feed is in the liquid state; 
it does not feed gas (such as methane) or solids. The unit feeds a 
variety of liquid hydrocarbons such as paraffins, olefins, and 
aromatics in the C5-C20 range, obtained from the refinery pipestills 
and other chemicals units.
    (7) Stoichiometric material consumption equation, based on process 
identified as predominant method of production:

5.12 x 0.94 C<INF>3</INF>H<INF>6</INF> [propylene] + 5.12 x 0.06 
C<INF>5</INF>H<INF>10</INF> [amylene] + 2 CO [carbon monoxide] + 4 
H<INF>2</INF> [hydrogen] + C<INF>8</INF>H<INF>10</INF> [orthoxylene] + 
3 O<INF>2</INF> [oxygen] [rarr] 
C<INF>26</INF>H<INF>42</INF>O<INF>4</INF> [di-isononyl phthalate] + 4 
H<INF>2</INF>O [water]

    (8) Tax rate calculated by Petitioner, based on Petitioner's 
conversion factors for taxable chemicals used in production of 
substance:
    (i) Tax rate: $7.11 per ton.
    (ii) Conversion factors: 0.48 for propylene, 0.25 for xylene.
    (9) Public docket number: IRS-2025-0046.

Michael Beker,
Senior Counsel (Energy, Credits, and Excise Tax), IRS Office of Chief 
Counsel.
[FR Doc. 2025-08503 Filed 5-13-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4830-01-P


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Indexed from Federal Register on May 14, 2025.

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